Gallup Tracking Poll: Romney 52%, Obama 45%

Mitt Romney widened his lead over President Barack Obama to seven points in a national tracking poll released by Gallup Thursday.

Gallup said 2,721 likely voters surveyed by phone gave Romney a 52 to 45 percent lead, with a 2-point margin of error.

The first national tracking poll released by Democratic-leaning Public Policy Polling, however, had the candidates tied at 48 percent each.

In the crucial state of Ohio, a snap poll taken by Republican-leaning Rasmussen the day after Tuesday’s debate had Obama ahead 49 to 48 percent, unchanged from earlier surveys. Other pollsters have had Obama leading there by wider margins.

In the smaller but key swing state of Colorado, PPP had Obama besting Romney by 50 to 47 percent Thursday, a loss of three points for the incumbent since before the first debate in Denver.